Infield Face Masks and College

[lostbayou21]

Masks are fairly common-place in USFA travel in Louisiana. You never know when they might be necessary.

Last summer I witnessed a left fielder (10-u) coming up to back up a play at third base and got too close. The hard throw to third was high and tipped off the top of the third baseman's glove. The re-directed ball smashed the left fielder in the mouth, causing extensive damage.

My 11 year old DD is a pitcher/infielder and always wears her Rip-It. She has yet to take a line drive or bad hop off the face but she definitely is a more confident fielder because of it. Our local high schools have plenty of players wearing the masks.

I fully believe this is a parental decision relating to safety. No one outside the family has as much invested in your child; no one else should make this call.

 

[starsnuffer]

I know it's not D1, but my daughters 14u A ball team just played a tournament that had a JC division that a lot of the local JC's competed in. I counted 3 JC third basemen and 1 pitcher wearing masks.

For what it's worth, nearly every single 14u team wore fielding masks, some even had masks on the entire infield. It seems that we've passed the social stigma for wearing masks, at least out here in California. (rip it seems to be the dominant mask, with gameface a distant second)

-W

 

[Screwball]

I just did my rounds at about eight or so high school games and a handful of college games. One mask. None in college.

10u BTW is not college nor related to whether college players should wear masks. 10us are learning to field and place themselves. College players already can do this. Masks are sort of training wheels that typically go away at some time (excepting pitchers who can be more defenseless).

FYI: Another pro baseball player hit in the face, broken bone or something under eye. No talk of masks.

 

[00fpdaddy]

I have noticed around here ( northeast ) tourney ball (travel ball A) 3/4 of the girls wear masks. Rec ball, travel ball B, hardly any girls wear them. My experience with 12u. Last year 10u it was mandatory, I do see the older girls in her organization not wearing them expect pitchers and some 3b/1b.

 

[SBFAMILY]

They are common in travel ball around here. What I have noticed this year , high school players are wearing them. Now that slappers are getting more common at high school level, they are wearing them to pitch and play third.

 

[Sweet Lou]

I just did my rounds at about eight or so high school games and a handful of college games. One mask. None in college.

There was a time when batting helmets were optional too. Now they are mandatory in all levels of BB & FP.

I don't think anyone believes collegiate athleets should be required to wear masks. But it does get me anrgy that there are coaches that will look down on a player that choses to wear a mask. There was a time when hockey goalies didn't wear masks too, I doubt those days are ever coming back even if goalies were given the option. Helmets were also optional in the NHL until the 80s for non-goalies.

10u BTW is not college nor related to whether college players should wear masks. 10us are learning to field and place themselves. College players already can do this. Masks are sort of training wheels that typically go away at some time (excepting pitchers who can be more defenseless).

And like my example of helmets above, required masks for pitchers and or infielders will most likely start at the youth levels. In the 1950s little league first made helemts a requirement for BB. In 1960 the first MLB player started wearing the LL hemet. By 1971 helmets were madatory in MLB, though players already in the league were grandfathered with the option to not wear a helmet. The last MLB player to not wear helmet was in 1979. I would bet that sometime in the next 10 years you'll start to see youth leagues require face makes for pitchers, this could be at both the BB anf FP levels or it could be just one of them, I don't know.

FYI: Another pro baseball player hit in the face, broken bone or something under eye. No talk of masks.

Miguel Cabrera - We discussed this a week ago when it happend. Scroll back a few pages in this thread.

 

[mad hornet]

Attended a D-III college game Monday night and first basemen for both teams wore infielders masks.

 

[chinamigarden]

I just did my rounds at about eight or so high school games and a handful of college games. One mask. None in college.

10u BTW is not college nor related to whether college players should wear masks. 10us are learning to field and place themselves. College players already can do this. Masks are sort of training wheels that typically go away at some time (excepting pitchers who can be more defenseless).

FYI: Another pro baseball player hit in the face, broken bone or something under eye. No talk of masks.

Yeah a man had his orbital bone broken and no one says men should wear masks. And you think that justifies why parents shouldn't expect that their children should not be allowed to wear protection. Just because no one wants men to wear them doesn't make it a bad thing that a parent would want to protect their kid.

I suppose in some pseudo feminist way men continuing to be hurt proves that girls must be allowed to be injured in the same manner in order for things to be equal.

 

[chinamigarden]

Attended a D-III college game Monday night and first basemen for both teams wore infielders masks.

Are you going to believe your lying eyes or the people on here who insist that no college coach anywhere would allow a mask?

 

[Screwball]

It has nothing to do with families, no one is saying what you should do in 10u 12u. The college players are adults and can do what they wish.

I would not wear a mask. And LL BB is a bad example: The baseball is more dangerous and no LL boys that I have ever seen nor any HS or travel boys wear masks. Wear is all this familial concern for boys? Oh, they are allowed to be hurt and have ugly faces I guess.

I have been hit many times, although not that many pitching. Even in the face (twice). You do live almost all of the time. Good grief.

The bats are the problem. Face it. Darling daughter needs to suck it up and have a heavy bat with a smaller sweet spot and maybe strike out once in awhile so all the girls can be spared a strange future in armor.

To me some of this is like labeling a large bucket for parents that it is a drowning hazard for babies. We overdo it, even when everyone is an adult. The forum topic says college, after all. This is not about the kids.

A college coach can and will weed kids out on the smallest of things, and masks can be one them (If you don't have a medical reason, FYI I am not a college coach so don't get made at me ). I personally would not take the chance if I were going for a college spot.